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Making the Case for Renewal: Community

Ever since Community started its fifth season and the return of Dan Harmon occured, fans have been clamoring to reach the “six seasons and a movie” plateau. I, of course, am included in this bunch. Obviously, here in the thick of renewal season, worry for our favorite shows is heightened. I’m a firm believer that NBC should give Community at LEAST six seasons (especially if not a movie) and outlined here are just a few reasons why NBC should consider a renewal.

No one realized just how important Dan Harmon was to this show until he was gone. While season 4 (under new showrunners) was amusing at times, it was nowhere near the level of hilarity that Harmon had once achieved. As you can tell by the articles I’ve written on Community previously, I’m a big fan of Harmon’s return to the show. Season 5 has immediately breathed new life into the show that everyone loves. It’s the same, but different, and I think NBC should continue to follow the direction in which the show is now headed. At the very least, it should ride out the wave.

Community has proved lately that it can be a resilient sitcom. The loss of stars such as Chevy Chase and Donald Glover could’ve proved a nail in the coffin for any other “on the bubble” sitcom. But alas, our beloved Community has prevailed. The addition of Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad) as Professor Hickey has given some fresh comedy from an unexpected source, and the remaining cast members remain as strong as ever. Plus there was the return of fan-favorite recurring star John Oliver, and other minor characters like Starburns, further returning the show to its early season form.

One of the chief complaints I’ve heard about this season is the “over use” of guest stars. While some complain that this takes away from our main crew, I argue that it illustrates the ever-increasing love that stars have for our beloved show. The guest stars have always been good, but this season with Nathan Fillion (finally), Walton Goggins, Vince Gilligan (who is basically a god to Breaking Bad fans) and others, they’ve proved that Community is as relevant as ever.

I could argue all day long about Community being (arguably) the best sitcom on television, how loyal its fanbase is, and how much it makes me laugh day in and day out (Seriously, I can pick out any episode from any point in the series and still laugh out loud), but at the end of the day only certain things matter to networks. In this case, however, Community should get another chance. While its ratings aren’t stellar (the critical acclaim and fan following has been enough for Parks & Recreation), NBC needs to look at the whole picture when discussion comes up for renewal. Community has remained resilient despite timeslot (I mean honestly, how do you expect it to perform against The Big Bang Theory week after week?!), and with the proper use of it by NBC, it could be come a network staple for years to come. Is that a longshot? Probably. But am I hopeful? Yes. NBC, if you’re listening, let’s give Community another go! It’s intelligent, fun, and we fans deserve (at the very least) some closure on the characters we know and love.

At MINIMUM, Community fans deserve a chance to say goodbye to their favorite characters with a final season. What’s that NBC?! You’ll do it?! AND a movie?! Awesome!! (Okay, they didn’t say that, but let’s all keep our fingers crossed, shall we?)

The defense rests, your honor. What do you think? Does Community deserve another shot? Will it get one? Or is this the final go-round for our friends at Greendale? Let me know in the comments!

Nick Hogan is a TV and movie fanatic. He loves writing reviews, TV discussion, and is always looking for new things to watch. He also co-hosts a podcast called Changing Panels (changingpanels.com/@ChangingPanels) about Comic Book TV.
Follow him on Twitter @nickyahogan